Mayuri and Ritesh, JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa
From a sangeet inspired by Anushka’s role in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to a gulal filled mehendi, this couple's wedding was a celebration of love.
At Mayuri and Ritesh’s wedding, each season was celebrated individually to signify the love that remains unwavering in good times and bad. This gorgeous concept was brought to life by WeddingSutra Favorite Dreamzkraft and with the help of WeddingSutra Favorite Moor Designs, they invited guests to their grand celebration.
The bride tells all about their big day and everything that made it so special.
How We Met
“Ritesh and I met at a wedding in Pune and we instantly connected. He was brilliant, extremely funny, and very quirky at heart. I thought I’d found a wonderful friend! When I moved to Dubai a few weeks after to kick-start my law career, little did I know that our fleeting friendship would evolve into a whirlwind romance.”
Proposal
“After four years of a topsy-turvy relationship involving long-distance love, traveling a lot, break-ups and make-ups, Ritesh proposed in the beautiful Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah. Of course, he’d flown down first to my hometown Gran Canaria to ask for my parents’ blessings.”
Wedding Venue
“Both Ritesh and I wanted a destination wedding – something away from Spain and the UAE. We were looking for a resort venue with beautiful spaces, where our family and friends could party, bond and spend all their time together.
While researching I discovered that JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa was soon to begin operations. Still waiting to open, it was going to be a palatial spa resort with enough rooms to accommodate our 300-odd guests, a grand ballroom for late night parties, a beautiful pool for a sundowner fest, and, above all, it was going to have a team of the friendliest people behind it. It ticked all our boxes!
My father and Ritesh’s brother effortlessly bonded with the owner Mr. Mohan Sukhani, who promised us the dream wedding I was hoping for. We were the second family to book the hotel for a wedding prior to its opening, so everything was trust-based. We went with our gut and in hindsight, it was the best decision.
Working with this hotel was so smooth. They took care of our every whim and were extremely accommodating no matter how odd our requests were. We were provided with additional shadows which made us feel incredibly pampered.”
Wedding Planning
“We had a year to plan, which was perfect because both Ritesh and I are detail-oriented and wanted this wedding to mean something to us. We had six functions spread out over three days, and we wanted each to be different from the next, yet have an overarching theme that linked them together.
The décor team, Dreamzkraft, and the planners, Krayonz Entertainment, understood our vision perfectly and were elemental in bringing this to life in the most spectacular way imaginable.
We were very particular with our vision, our budget and the overall feel of this wedding. Dreamzkraft executed those intricacies efficiently. We had a million ideas and held many meetings in their beautiful office, going back and forth until everyone was on the same page.
Our planners, Krayonz Entertainment, treated us with the same respect. Our priority was the comfort of our guests and from airport pick up to drop off, the events team nailed it. I loved the people they had assigned as our shadows. We couldn’t have been happier with this team
As a bride, I want to personally mention that I had an excellent rapport with my hair and makeup team – they were so kind, and it made the whole process relaxing and genuinely fun.
Our beautiful wedding invitations were designed by Resham Moorjani of Moor Designs.
The hashtag for our wedding was #MayRiShaadi (meri shaadi) which was a combination of our names.”
Wedding Functions
Mehndi
“The first function was the ‘Spring Mehndi’ which fell on the day of Holi! We celebrated with heaps of organic gulaal (colored powder). Everyone welcomed spring in all-white kurtas. Ritesh and I offset this in lime green and yellow outfits.
Punjabi-style kitsch décor spread across the green lawn, our bar was a “Sharaab Di Gaddi” truck, kaleeras and parandis hung from the trusses, gola and lassi stations and an eyecare counter, amongst many other curiosities were dotted around the venue. We started off with a bang!”
Sangeet
“Autumn was the theme for that night. What better way to honor falling in love than an ode to the mysticism of our favorite poet Rumi. Framed Sufi poetry decorated the tables in the ballroom; autumnal leaves of gold hung from trees that served as centerpieces; and Arabic lanterns completed the magnificent hall.
I loved Anushka Sharma’s entire look in the song ‘Channa Mereya’ from the movie ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and wanted to recreate this in hues of green and gold with Manish Malhotra. The design team from their Delhi store was incredibly sweet and very helpful in making sure I attained that look to perfection. Ritesh complemented me in an intricate threaded maroon and olive sherwani from Shantanu & Nikhil.
The highlights, of course, were the performances that our loved ones put up for us. We were so overwhelmed by the sheer effort everyone took to make it such a wonderful skit. “
Wedding
“The pheras were held the following day and were evocative of the monsoons. We had a beautiful mandap on the rooftop, with a lotus flower backdrop and Vedic chanters along the side. The venue was decorated in pastel flowers and umbrellas, to signify the season. We chose the monsoon here because of the showers of blessings and love we received from our friends and family.
I’m close to everyone in my family and have a very special connection with my brothers who have always looked out for me. I wanted to honor this love by having them all give me away. The boys (all dressed in blue) held floral arches along the aisle. Fighting back tears, I walked underneath these with my father to the song ‘Moh Moh Ke Dhaage’. Ritesh, who had a fantastic baraat procession in a vintage convertible, was waiting for me on the varmaala platform surrounded by floral peacocks – my namesake.”
After Party
“Once the pheras were over, we wanted to unwind with a chilled out after party. Ritesh and I were in Mumbai when we were brainstorming about the theme for this one. Then one late night, it hit us: the city was our inspiration! A second home to us at that point, we loved its vibe, its friendliness, and its eccentricities.
Guests entered the venue through a police check-post (nakabandi), where “policewomen” would only let them enter if they had a shot. Instead of tables, we had carom boards with orange juice glasses on either side. The walls were graffitied with “Bean Bags for Sale” and Bhojpuri movie posters. The bartenders, dressed as chaiwalas, brought custom-made drinks to guests. There was even a “paanwale ki petti”.
Ritesh, who never shies away from the peculiar, got in touch with the designer Karrtik D, who created a unique, Bombay-themed tuxedo for him. It was a truly “jhakaas” night.”
Pool Party
“The last day we had a Summer in Spain themed pool party. What better way to introduce our Dubai family to Spanish hospitality than by sipping sangrias under the sun?
I entered the venue with my bridesmaids, dancing to ‘Mi Gente’. Ritesh was carried in by his groomsmen to the ‘Narcos’ theme song. The sundowner function consisted of paellas, beer pong, tug-o-war inside the pool, foot massages and Mariachi singers.”
Reception
“The reception was on the last day, and a winter theme seemed apt. We wanted to ‘freeze’ the moment and spend an eternity with those we love on this night.
It was a sophisticated affair – ivory drapes, cherry blossoms, and silver crystals adorned the ballroom. White damask seating sprawled across the lawn, closer to the buffet.
One of my most cherished moments was when our loved ones gave heartfelt speeches. My adorable niece and nephew held my veil as I made the entry hand in hand with Ritesh. I wore a pale pink and silver off-shoulder gown and Ritesh looked dapper in a bottle green velvet tuxedo. We danced to an acoustic rendition of the classic song ‘Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye’. A majestic 6-tier cake and a champagne tower awaited us. It was the perfect way to end our three-day celebration.”
Advice to Couples
“Take time out to stop and appreciate your loved ones. Before the pheras, I had written a letter to both our mothers, thanking them for being so supportive of us throughout this journey. Similarly, Ritesh had snuck out of the after party to hang out alone with our fathers. Your wedding will go by quickly, so take a moment to remember those who made this happen for you.
Make your guests feel comfortable and well taken care of. We had sent a note prior to the wedding explaining the attire required for each function, which people found useful. There was late night supper every day, which most youngsters appreciated during those 5 am hunger pangs. We would highly recommend it.
The reason we had fun at our own wedding was because we didn’t take things too seriously. Stay up till late, eat and drink to your heart’s content and don’t worry about being a poised, graceful bride or groom. It’s more important to be happy.
Ice water baths, shots of espresso and a good concealer do wonders to hide any signs of lack of sleep, and it will be totally worth it.
Plan everything well in advance, do your homework, work very hard in all the months leading up to the wedding. But when the D-day comes, let go, be grateful and party hard.”
Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa
Wedding Planner: Krayonz Entertainment
Décor: Dreamzkraft
Bride’s Outfits: Anushree Reddy (Mehndi), Manish Malhotra (Sangeet), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding), Sherri Hill (Pool Party), Monisha Jaising (After Party & Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Sameer Patel (Mehndi), Shantanu & Nikhil (Sangeet), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding), Karrtik D (After Party), Troy Costa (Pool Party & Reception)
Jewellery: Anmol Jewellers, Gehna Jewellers, Vama Jewels
Makeup Artist: Saniya Shahdadpuri
Hairstylist: Ritika Kadam
Entertainment: Emcee Junaid Currimbhoy, Astitva
DJ: DJ Jeftin James (DJ Jeff), Dubai
Invitations: Moor Designs
Bartenders: Drinq
Photography and Videography: Recall Pictures, Hitched and Clicked
